Drew Pomeranz is returning to the division where he’s had the most success in his career.
The left-handed pitcher on Wednesday joined the San Francisco Giants, the team announced. His deal reportedly is for one year and worth $1.5 million, but is incentive-laden to where he can earn up to $5 million.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal shared some of the financial info behind Pomeranz’s deal.
The 30-year-old was acquired by the Red Sox from the San Diego Padres ahead of the 2016 trade deadline. He was an All-Star that season prior to the trade, but his ensuing time with Boston was marred by injury.
He went 17-6 during the 2017 season, but was torched in his lone postseason start. He was expected to be a big part of the rotation in 2018, but a forearm flexor strain during spring training pretty much sent his season off the rails. He never was totally effective, and spent considerable time on the disabled list.
Pomeranz finished the regular season with a 2-6 record and 6.08 ERA. He was left off the postseason roster for the American League Division Series and Championship Series, but was added for the World Series, although he didn’t appear in a game.
He has good stuff, with a devastating breaking ball being the highlight, but the incessant hanging of the pitch and a hefty dip in fastball velocity were massive contributors to his shortcomings this past season.
However, given the successes he’s had both as a starter and reliever, he’s a pretty low-risk, high-reward signing for the Giants.
Pomeranz joins Joe Kelly (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Ian Kinsler (Padres) as the Red Sox’s departures this offseason. Craig Kimbrel remains unsigned, while Steve Pearce and Nathan Eovaldi both returned to Boston.
